Chanukah is coming!

I'm sorry I haven't been posting lately, I've been nursing a very bad back and was banned from the kitchen.  However, I'm back in the kitchen and have a couple of latke recipes that I really must share and I know you'll love them!

They're a bit unusual, but everyone who has had the opportunity to taste them, loves them.

Enjoy!

Carrot Latkes

Makes 24 to 30 latkes

3 cups coarsely grated carrots

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Oil for frying

Place the carrots, scallions, eggs, flour, salt, pepper and ginger in a large bowl and mix until well combined.

Heat 1/4 cup of oil over medium-high heat in a 14 inch saute pan. Drop the batter into the pan by tablespoons and fry until golden brown, turn and fry until golden brown on the second side.  Remove the latkes and drain on paper towels.

Keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

(c) Sharyn Rosler, May, 2009

Sephardic Spinach Latkes

Makes 24 to 30 latkes

3 tablespoons olive oil or grape seed oil

1 large onion chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 - 16 ounce bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry

1/2 cup matzo meal

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 eggs, lightly beaten

Oil for frying

Heat the oil in a 12 inch saute pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes until soft.  

Remove the onion mixture from the heat and add the spinach, matzo meal, salt pepper, cumin, cardamom, and cayenne pepper.  Mix in the eggs and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a 12 inch or 14 inch, nonstick, saute pan over medium heat.  Drop the batter by tablespoons into the pan and fry the latkes until golden brown, turning to cook the second side.  Remove from the pan to paper towels to drain.

Keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

Serve harissa on the side or tahini sauce.

1. Sharyn Rosler, (c) October, 2009

Sicilian Chickpea Latkes

Makes approximately 2 dozen latkes

1 - 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

3 eggs

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 a red bell pepper, diced fine

4 scallions chopped

1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Oil for frying

Place the chickpeas, garlic, and rosemary in the bowl of a food processor and process until it forms a coarse paste.  Add the eggs, water, and olive oil and process until smooth.  Add the flour, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and baking powder and pulse until blended.  Transfer the batter to a bowl and stir in the bell pepper, scallions and parsley until well blended.

Heat 1/3 cup oil in a 12 inch saute pan over medium high heat.  Drop the chickpea batter into the pan by tablespoons.  Cook until golden brown, flip and cook the second side until golden brown.  Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.  Add more oil to the pan as needed.

Keep the latkes warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

Serve with tahini sauce.

1. Sharyn Rosler, October, 2008

Tahini Sauce

1 cup tahini

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Serve with chickpea latkes.

(c) Sharyn Rosler, October, 2008

Harissa

Makes 2 cups

1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Whisk the tomato paste and vinegar together in a medium bowl.  Slowly whisk in the oil,  then whisk in the cumin, coriander, and salt.  Stir in the peppers and jalapenos.  

Can be prepared one to two days ahead.  Keep covered in the refrigerator.  Before serving bring to room temperature.

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2. Sharyn Rosler, (c) August, 2008

Something Different for Shabbat or Yom Tov

Hi all.  Hope you've been having a great summer.

We did a bit of traveling this spring and early summer, but we're home now with some great ideas for recipes, that I will be sharing with you over the next few weeks.

This is something that I'm sure you will love.  It's a play on gefilte fish that's absolutely delicious.
Enjoy!

Faux Crab Cakes

Looking for something different to serve as an appetizer on Shabbat or Rosh Hashanah?  Try this scrumptious dish that adds a little zest to your meal.

Makes 12 large or 24 small “crab” cakes.

Enjoy!

1 log frozen gefilte fish, thawed

4 scallions chopped fine

1 stalk of celery chopped fine

1 red bell pepper chopped fine

4 tablespoons chopped dill

1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion, Vidalia, Walla Walla, or Texas Sweets

10 sticks imitation, kosher crab, sliced into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch pieces

1 large egg

1/4 cup mayonnaise (not low fat or fat free)

3 to 4 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning, or to taste

2 cups of Panko crumbs to coat the “crab” cakes

Grape seed or vegetable oil for frying

Sweet and Tangy Mustard Sauce to serve

Chopped dill to garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper

In a large bowl, mix together the thawed gefilte fish, scallions, celery, bell pepper, dill, onion, crab, egg, mayonnaise and Old Bay.  Form into cakes and dredge in the Panko.

Heat the oil in a large fry pan on medium heat, use just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, about 1 to 2 tablespoons.  Put the crab cakes in the pan and fry until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Place the crab cakes on the prepared sheet pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until done.  (Can be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  To reheat, place on a rack in a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes in a preheated 300 degree oven.)

To serve garnish with chopped dill with the Sweet and Tangy Mustard Sauce on the sid

Sweet and Tangy Mustard Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning

Mix all ingredients together.  Refrigerate until needed.

Can be made 2 to 3 days ahead.

Sharyn Rosler (c) November, 2013

More For Passover-- substitution list for baking plus some recipes

PASSOVER SUBSTITUTIONS

It happens every year.  You wish you were able to make your fantastic lemon or apple cake for Passover.
Well, you can!!!!!
Just use these substitutions and you will find you will be able to recreate your prized recipes any time you wish to during Passover.

5/8 cup potato starch                               equals                           1 cup flour

3/4 cup matzo cake meal                         equals                           1 cup flour

1 cup matzo cake meal                            equals                           1 cup breadcrumbs

1 cup ground nuts                                    equals                           1 cup flour

7/8 cup potato starch                                equals                           1 cup matzo cake meal

3/4 cup matzo cake meal                          equals                           5/8 cup potato starch

To replace vanilla extract in baking, place a vanilla bean that has been broken in half in a jar with a cup of granulated sugar.  Allow this mixture to stand for at least one week.  You will have vanilla sugar.  1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar is equal to 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

To make confectioner's sugar for Passover, place1 cup of sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of potato starch in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.  Process for 2 to 4 minutes until very fine.  The texture will be grainier than regular confectioner's sugar.  It makes 1 cup.

Use finely ground almonds, walnuts, pecans or pistachio nuts to coat chicken, fish or veal that has been dipped in egg whites.

Use a grated white potato in place of bread crumbs when making meatloaf or hamburgers or in kugels other than potato if you don't wish to use matzo meal.


Now, for some different recipes for Passover!

Matzo Scallion Latkes
Perfect when you want something different to serve as a side dish or an appetizer.
Makes approximately 3 dozen latkes

1 cup thinly sliced scallions, the white and pale green parts
1 cup scallion tops, the dark green part
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups matzo meal
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Oil for frying

Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12" sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the sliced scallions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the scallion tops.  Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs well and the add the water and mix until well combined.  Whisk in the salt, pepper, oregano, cardamom and pepper.  Add the matzo meal and scallions and mix until well combined.
Heat the oil in a 12 inch nonstick fry pan over medium heat.  Drop 2 tablespoons of batter for each latke into the pan and spread to form a 2 inch circle.  Cook until the bottoms are a golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Turn and cook until the second side is golden brown and the latkes are cooked through, an additional 1 1/2 minutes.  Place on paper towels to drain.  As needed, add more oil to finish frying the latkes.
The latkes can be made ahead and reheated at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Passover Tart Dough
A parve Passover dough for your favorite tart.

1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon ice water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
1 1/2 cups matzo cake meal
3 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold parve margarine cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup shelled almonds, toasted and finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Grease and flour with matzo cake meal a 9" round tart pan with removable bottom.

In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk, water, and vanilla together.  Place the cake meal, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and mix until combined.  Add the margarine and pulse until the pieces of margarine are no longer visible.
With the processor running, add the egg yolk mixture in a stead stream.  Then pulse the mixture until the liquid is evenly distributed, about 15 seconds.
Place the mixture in a large bowl, and using your hands, mix in the chopped almonds, evenly.
The dough will be fairly crumbly at this point.  Transfer the dough to the tart pan, and starting at the sides, press the dough firmly agains the pan to make a crust about 1/4 inch thick.  Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork, and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.  Remove from the freezer, place in the oven, and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
When cool, fill with your choice of fillings.

Passover Pecan Cookies
Non-gebrokt for everyone!
Makes approximately 24 cookies

1 cup pecan halves
3/4 cup potato starch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter or parve margarine, at room temperature, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

In a food processor pulse pecans, potato starch, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until the mixture is the texture of coarse corn meal.
To the pecan/potato starch mixture, add the butter or margarine (for parve) and pulse until a dough forms.
Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.
Measure 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie and roll into a ball.  Place on the prepared baking sheet, about 1 1/2 inches apart.
Bake, turning the baking sheets halfway through, until the cookies are golden at the edges, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
If you would like, you can make jam sandwich cookies by spreading either apricot or raspberry jam on the bottom of a cookie and placing a second cookie on top.

The information on this page can be find in my cookbook:  Kosher Salt and Exotic Spices.

Chocolate-Chocolate Passover Brownies

I love chocolate and anything made with chocolate. So do most people I know.  Passover chocolate desserts generally run the gamut from just okay to really good. This recipe makes really, really good parve Passover brownies.
Make them this year, your family will be ecstatic!

Chocolate-Chocolate Brownies

4 ounces bitter-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 pound parve margarine
4 extra large eggs
1 cup fine sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
7/8 cup matzoh cake meal
1/2 cup toaste, chopped pecan halves, optional

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Grease an 8x12x2 pan and line with parchment paper.

In a double boiler, place the bitter sweet chocolate and margarine.  When melted, remove from heat, stir to be sure it is combined, and set aside.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, instant coffee, salt, and cinnamon.  When well combined, add the chocolate/butter mixture and mix well. Sift in the cake meal and add the chocolate chips and vanilla. Mix until combined.
Place the batter in the prepared pan. If using, sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top and put in the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until done.
Cool on wire rack in pan for 1/2 hour then, using parchment paper, remove from pan, carefully remove the parchment paper, and place the brownies on the wire rack. When completely cool, slice into bars.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower, perfect for Pesach!

Hi everyone.  I'm finally back. I had some major abdominal surgery last month, after 6 months of persistent diverticulitis which curtailed almost all my activities.

Passover is coming so I hope to post several recipes and ideas for some different ideas to perk up Pesach meals and snacks.

Baked Cauliflower with Dates and Almonds

1head cauliflower separated into florets
1/4 cup grape seed oil
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
15 pitted dates, chopped
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
4 cups mixed herbs, loosely packed, arugala, parsley, basil, cilantro or mint

Dressing:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Lightly oil a rimmed sheet pan

In a large bowl, mix the oil, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Add the cauliflower and toss until well coated. Pour the cauliflower into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning twice, until tender and lightly browned.

In a large bowl, put the lemon juice, zest, honey, salt, pepper, olive oil, and water and whisk until well combined. Add the cauliflower, almonds, dates, onion, and mixed herbs. Toss gently, pour onto a platter, and serve.

B'tayavon!